Comments from family

(1)  Comment from my cousin through email:

Hi
I really enjoyed your stories. I remember him doing the same thing with us and our eyes would get big and hearts thump.  He was sooooo convincing.  He really was a master storyteller.  Love you, Sandy

(2)  Comment from my aunt through email.

I have enjoyed reading about old times, your Uncle E., Uncle L., and your dad.  Your Uncle E. would tell me every time I saw him that my brother had the best looking sisters in Coff.,lol  He still knew me the last time I saw him. I thought your Uncle L. was the best looking man and I was always shy around him when he would tease me, your dad was always playing tricks, told me to eat this bug and I would never be sick, and I ate it , he laughed so hard. I can see him now in my mind , throwing his head back when he laughed, it's good to remeber the good times with family, great memories. love you

 

Thanks so much for your comments.  Love you guys.  All are in my prayers.  God Bless, Janie

Missed Death 2 Times

My mother

Me not long after I had scarlet fever.

When I was a baby I had milk poison.  My mother had started working and had quit breast feeding me.  She let me breast feed, her milk was bad, and it gave me milk poisoning.  When I asked her why she did that she replied... "Will my breasts were hurting."  lol  She said she told my Granny to take care of me that she could get me well.  I was burning up with fever and the doctor told my Granny that if they gave me one drop of milk it would kill me.  Granny told me that she made toast, soaked it in water, and gave me the water off of the toast.

~~*~~

I got scarlet fever before I turned 4 years old.  Mom and daddy had moved to California.  Granny and Uncle D. (mom's little brother) came to California.  Granny took me back home with her on the train.  Uncle D. stayed there with mom, daddy, and Aunt W. (daddy's little sister).  Soon after Granny got me home I came down with Scarlet Fever.  When asked how I got it I was told I went into a quarantined trailer next door.

 

I can remember sitting in the floor, my mom came, I ran to meet her and I fell in the floor.  Granny said I could not walk while sick.

 

Farther Along: (Another favorite of Granny)

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Stories About My Dad

My dad did not tell me too many stories that were true.  lol  He would tell me silly stories and have me believing all kind of things.  Most of the true stories came from my grandma or his sisters.  He was the oldest and the most ornery!  My aunt B. has told me some of the stories.  My dad taught me to laugh.

 

1.  Grandma told me that my dad was always pulling practical jokes.  He would ride his horse in from the field, grab his heart, and fall off of the horse.  She would run out to see about him... then he would jump up laughing.

 

2.  One time grandma heard the old sow squealing like crazy and she ran to see what was wrong with it.  My dad had tied it's tail to the fence with a piece of wire; and then poked the pig with a stick.  When she realized that her tail was caught she pulled harder.  To this day I still wonder how they got her tail loose??

 

3.  He would go out in the barn and holler "Help!"  Grandma would run out there thinking that he had fallen through the hay.  He would jump up and laugh.  One day it back fired because his grandma was visiting when he was yelling "Help!"  Great grandma asked grandma if she was going to check on him?  She said, no he is just pulling tricks.  This time he had actually fallen through the hay!  I can still see and hear my grandma laughing.

 

4.  My aunt B. told me that when she was little she would walk around with a string hanging from a tooth.  Not really brave enough to pull it.  My dad would jump out and pull the string... the tears would really come!

 

5.  When all of them were little they would sit around at night and tell scary ghost stories.  They would see who could tell the scariest one.  Aunt B. said she was little and she would be scared to death to go to bed.  lol

 

6.  Grandma told me when I was 15 that when there was a full moon all the kids went crazy when they were teenagers.  lol  The day Gary mouthed off at me... it was a full moon!  lol

 

7.  Daddy use to tell me that he was going to take me "Jim Crow hunting."  He said we would take a paper sack, a salt shaker, and a knife.  We would sneak up on a crow, put salt on his tail, split his tongue, and put him in a paper sack and bring him home.  He said that if you split the tongue of a crow it would say, "Jim Crow".  One day I drove him crazy wanting him to take me Jim Crow hunting.  Mom had left him to baby sit me when she went to town.  He must have finally gotten tired of hearing me fuss.  He got the old work horse, Roan, and we headed to the north field.  Rode bareback  because we didn't have a saddle.  I was really looking for that Jim Crow!  I was so disappointed when he told me that we weren't going to find one and we should head back to the house.  He let old Roan loose up at the north end of the field and we walked back to the house.  All of a sudden he told me to watch out and not step on a snake!  I was begging him to carry me piggy back.  He told me to "Walk!"  About that time the dogs, Old Sandy and Pal, started killing snakes!  Ever since then I have been scared of snakes.

 

8.  He loved to tease me.  Mom again went some place and I made the mistake of asking him what he was going to buy me for Christmas.  He told me a 2 cent lollipop!  At first I said, oh daddy you are not, but soon he had me convinced that all he was going to buy me was a 2 cent lollipop.  I remember bawling my head off and he just laughed.

 

9.  When my Granny stayed with us for a while she would get so mad.  I was always wanting to wrestle with my dad.  I was more of a tom boy than I little girl when we lived on the farm.  Every time I would wrestle with him... I would get hurt.  I still remember the day I jump in the middle of him and his knee came up... must of hit him in the wrong place... and he knocked me clear across the floor.  That was the day Granny was there!  lol  She told mom that he did it on purpose, but he didn't.  He just played rough and so did I.

 

10.  He worked on the farm and was a construction worker so he had a lot of muscles.  I wanted muscles like my dad.  I remember asking him how I could get muscles like him.  He got the kitchen chair, put it under a tree limb, and told me to pull myself up.  I did... and boy did I get muscles for a girl !!

 

11.  When we had company my dad was always outside with the kids.  Telling them stories or making them laugh.

 

12.  One day my dad went around the house hammering canning lids over the holes in the wooden floors.  He kept talking about snakes getting in the house.  That night when my mom went to bed she stuck her foot down to the foot of the bed and she could feel something all coiled up like a snake, and it was cold!  She jumped out of bed yelling there is a snake in our bed.  My dad jumped up out of bed and yanked the covers back... and then laughed his head off.  He had planned this ALL DAY!!  He had cut an old pope weed, coiled it up, put it in the ice box, and then put it at the foot of the bed.

 

13.  We lived in my grandma & grandpa's 2 room milk house when I was around 4.  We got old Pal, a wired haired terrier from someone in town.  When we all went to town one Saturday, Pal killed a bunch of my grandma's genies.  Daddy threw Pal in the back of the truck and was going to take him out and dump him or shoot him.  I think he was going to shoot him.  Mom told him, "Janie is going to throw a fit."  Mom said he was gone for about an hour.  Finally he came home and old Pal was sitting in the front seat of the pickup.  She don't know what happened.  We had that dog a long time.  He was always kind of crazy and a little mean.  Always chased the cars that came up the driveway and he got run over.

 

14.  He was always telling me about a possum, how they would play possum.  He promised me that he would take me possum hunting.  One night he took me and the little neighbor boy possum hunting.  It was dark and we had a flash light.  He was telling us stories and laughing the whole time we were looking for a possum.  I can not believe it but he found a possum that night!  I remember him shooting it.  He told us that the possum was going to get up and take off and we had best keep an eye on it.  He went in the house and left us outside.  We were only about 6 or 7 years old.  We got all kinds of rocks and piled them on top of that possum.  We went in the house and told my dad... "He won't get away now!"  I remember my dad coming out to see the possum.  He laughed his head off.

 

15.  Don't ask me how my dad did this but he caught a Red Bird and later a little screech owl.  My mother had Red Bird wall paper (real popular back then) and daddy told her that maybe it would live with the red birds on the wall.  It died.  Later on he caught this little screech owl and hung it on the front porch in a bird cage.  That little owl lived a long time.  One day he told me that he was going to turn it loose because it was mean to keep it locked up.

 

Time... how precious it is for kids!  I need to apologize to my kids for not spending much TIME with them.  These are the kind of things that kids will remember when they get older.  Good times, laughing, playing, and the stories that you tell them.

 

PRECIOUS MEMORIES:

 

Stories From My Mother

1.  When my uncle E was little mom's dad told him that if he ever told a lie again, he would make him eat a rat.  My uncle E asked Granny, "Mamma if daddy makes me eat a rat; will you scrape the hair off of it?"

 

2.  Her first day of school she had one brother on one side holding her hand, and another brother on the other side holding her hand.  She said never did her brothers treat her mean.  The boys had a habit when they went around something, they would say "bread and butter"... so one day she said it.  One of her brothers said.. "Here! You don't say that!"

 

3.  Uncle E drove a taxi.  The first time my dad took my mother home he stopped to buy a pack of cigarettes.  Her bother drove by and saw her in my dad's car.  He yanked her out of the car and told her he was taking her home and he was telling mamma on her!  When my dad came back out the couple that was with him said, "That gal must have been married.  Some guy in a taxi came by and yanked her out of the car!"

 

4.  Granny always let her go to dances with her brothers.  She would laugh and say she didn't see them half of the time.  They were off fighting or doing something.

 

5.  One time Uncle E. and Uncle L. got into a fight with the stove poker.  Granny got in the middle of them and when it was all over the stove poker was bent.  Mom would say, "Now that is how strong mom was!!"

 

6.  Someone was always living with them.  Mom always hated to come home from school because every dish in the house would be dirty!  Granny would be caning and have beet juice and stuff all over the kitchen,  and mom had to help clean up the mess.

 

7.  They went barefoot a lot.  Every year before school started they would go to a shoe store owned by a Jew.  They would all get a new pair of shoes for a dollar a pair.  They all walked to school.  Granny made all of her clothes.  The first thing she bought was a pair of red high heels and a long coat with fur down the front.  I can still remember that dark green coat with the fur on both sides from top to bottom.  She would sit me on her lap and wrap me up inside her coat.  It always felt so warm.  She wore it for years.

 

8.  My dad took her to meet his family.  She wore her red high heels.  My Uncle D. was only 4 years old.  When they left he told everyone that she sure had pretty legs!  Believe me he still notices the ladies pretty legs!  Quite a ladies man!  lol  Sure my aunt B. will tell him what I said.  He was the one that teased me all the time and had me bawling.  He was almost 6 years older than me.  lol

 

9.  Mom never forgot this!  When she was 9 she had a doll buggy, a wicker one.  My uncle E. took her doll buggy and gave it to the little girl next door.  When mom wanted her doll buggy he told her that she was too big for dolls!

 

10.  They were a wild bunch.  Fighting all the time.  Well known name in the city... called them "The B. boys."  Lot of boys would not date her because of her brothers. lol

 

11.  Her uncle B. had a country western band.  They played every weekend.  Granny, Granny's sister M., brother B., brother H., and Granny's sister-law M. all sang on the local radio station.

 

12.  One time Granny rearranged the furniture upstairs.  Uncle J. had the habit of running up the stairs and jumping into bed.  That night he came home, ran and jumped in the bed and fell in the floor.

 

13.  Uncle E. had a daughter 5 years younger than I.  Uncle E. drove a taxi.  When she would get mad at everyone she would say, "I just gonna tall me a tab and go home!"

 

14.  My uncle E. and uncle L. were good looking boys!  Uncle E. was really better looking than Uncle L.  Uncle L. reminded me of Clark Gable.  I think he must have imitated some of the expressions from Clark Gable.  lol  He was quite the ladies man.  Gary's mother went to school with both of them.  She told me one day, "That E. and L. were sure good looking boys."  My uncle E. said that he had a crush on Gary's mom when he went to school with her.  Small world, isn't it?  lol

 

15.  There was only a little over 2 years difference between mom and her little brother D.  She told me one time that he was laying on the sofa and his little checks were rosy.  She said he looked so sweet laying there.  She bent down and gave him a kiss on the cheek.  Uncle E. saw her do it and said, "Here!  You quite that!  I am going to tell mamma on you!"  lol  Then she would say... "That E. !!"  lol  If you have not guessed by now... uncle E. was the oldest.  lol

 

16.  My mother said that every time she would do something silly my Granny would say to her .... "M. you silly little goose!"

 

I can still hear my Granny singing her favorite song:  Precious Lord Take My Hand.  She would want me to sing it with her.  She wanted to harmonize with me.  lol  Too funny!  Soon she would say, "Janie Marie you are singing with me!"  lol

 

 

Enoughmemories for one entry!  Wishing all of you a wonderful week with LOTS of blessings.  All of you are in my prayers.  God Bless, Janie 

My Parents

I was an only child.  Mom was 17 1/2 years old when I was born and my dad was a little over 20.  My mother's dad died when she was 7 weeks old.  My granny had 4 children from the age of 7 weeks to 6 years old.  She was 16 when her first child was born.  She was doing washing for a man who had 5 children and had lost his wife.  He told Granny that they needed each other and they married.  They had 1 son together.  My dad was the oldest of 8 children.  My grandma was 15 when she had my dad.  She was Cherokee and my grandpa's mother came from England when she was 16.  My dad had a 6th grade education and mom had 11 th grade education.

 

Mom was the only girl of 3 full brothers, 1 half brother, 3 step brothers, and 2 step sisters.  Her step sisters lived with an aunt.  My mother ran away to get married at the age of 16, and I guess her brothers were going to beat up my dad.  lol

 

The night before I was born my mother went to the hospital.  The nurses did not want to wake up the doctor; so they made her wait until morning.  The doctor was pretty upset because I was an instrument baby.  My mom's aunt (Granny's little sister) was there with my mother.  I was named after her daughter Jane Ellen and Granny, Jane Marie.  Everyone has called me Janie for years.  When I was little my uncles called me Janie Ree because I could not pronounce Marie.  Most of them always called me Janie Marie when I was older.  My mother only called me Janie Marie when she was mad at me.  lol 

 

My mother had 2 brothers and 2 step brothers in World War II.  They were drafting men up to 40 years old.  They all served in the service when they were young men.  One was missing in action but he escaped when a bunch of American soldiers came through.  I was born while they were gone.  I was the second grandchild.

 

The only one now living is mom's brother 88 years old.  He was the one that told my mother that if he had a kid like me, he would take her out and drowned her!  lol  Everyone called him grandpa way before he turned one!  lol  He has always been good to me since I was a teenager.  I guess I cried and threw fits all the time when little.

 

We were poor.  Many times we lived with my Granny.  Everyone of her kids, mother, sister, and brothers lived with her off and on.  Three of my dad's little sisters had even stayed with her.  My step grandpa worked at Sinclair Refinery for years and fed everyone.  I don't remember the upstairs at that house, but yet have a photo memory of the down stairs.  We always slept downstairs.  The house was small but yet it seemed large to me as a child.

Unanswered Prayers

After tonight I will not be making more than one entry per day.  Either this one or the other one.  Sorry for so many entries recently.

 

Some things that I would like to touch on before starting the story of my life:

 

One of the most often asked question is... How could a God allow little children to suffer, all the hurting, and injustice in this world?  I too asked this same question??  I have seen God work in my life and I know that there is a God.  I am a sinner, but yet He continues to bless my life.  That does not mean that I will never experience pain or suffering.  God gives each of us a free will.  Have you ever noticed in the picture of Jesus knocking on the door.. there is not a door knob.  You have to open the door from the inside.  Many times our choices is what has created some of our problems in our in life.

 

Several statements that made me stop and think:

 

1.  Was it JUST for God to give His only son for a world full of sinners?  Do you think that God had no feelings when His Son was crucified?  Have you experienced some of the storms recently?  As soon as Jesus died the sky darkened and the storm came... ripping the curtain from the bottom to the top.

 

2.  A statement from my cousin's husband made me really stop and think.  He said his cousin told him one day; "You know Ben you have lived long enough for 2 good men lives."  Ben told me that every morning he looks in the mirror and says... "Thank you Lord for another day."  As I sit here... I have lived long enough for 3 good women.  God cared enough to create me.

 

3.  The Lord rains on the good and the bad.  This is the one that is REALLY hard to handle.  We ask why??  I don't know why.  That is what scripture says.  He tells us that we should weep when we are born and rejoice when we die.  Death to us is almost unbearable.  But let me ask you a question... our life is only a moment compared to eternity... do you agree?  ETERNITY, can we even phantom what ETERNITY is like?  How blessed we are if we have family members that have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior... because He is preparing a place for us.  A place where the streets are made of gold.  Jasper and diamonds... beyond our imagination.  A rainbow is beautiful but imagine for one moment what Heaven will be like.

 

4.  When God appeared to Moses, He was on the Mountain.  When everything is going good... let's call it being on the Mountain.  When things are bad... let's call it being in the Valley.  When we are in the valley we have to look up to see the Mountain.  When my life was so low and I was on my knees; I felt like the only thing left for me to do... was LOOK UP!  The Lord knew me well enough to know that was the only thing that would draw me near Him.  He knows me better than I know myself... but yet He loves me.  The same with you.

 

5.  Do you have a child?  Has that child asked you for silly things, little things, and even unbelievable things?  Has your child ever fallen down and skinned their knee?  Did you care... or did you ignore them?  God tells us to pray for ALL things.  Some people believe that they have to save the bad things for prayer.  A minister at a church I went to believed that.  Unreal.  I have even asked God to help me find something when running frantically through my house looking for it.  FINALLY I will pray.  What a miracle... to turn my head... and there it is!!  Unbelievable that God loves me that MUCH!!  Miracles are great... but to actually care about the little things in my life... is wonderful.  Scripture tells us that He knew us in our mother's womb... before we were even born.

 

6.  Last... I feel like God gives each of us a gift.  Something that we can do well.  It might be a simple little gift but it is important.  Sometimes it is hard for us to know what our gifts are.  I feel like if we just be ourselves we will discover what our gift is.  I can talk to someone 30 minutes and they have told me their whole life history.  Don't ask me why or how??  I can read between the lines of what people are saying without them even knowing it.  I use a lot of eye contact.  I listen close to what people are saying.  Just being me, not something that I practiced.  Singing... I have loved to sing before I could even sing.  lol  At the age of 3 my mother wrote in my baby book:  "Janie sings all the time but she can not carry a tune."  I asked her about that and she said it was true... I could not sing!  lol  God tells us that if we do not use our gift He will give it to someone else.  I am a very simple person, speak very simple, and my vocabulary is very limited.  Sometimes I feel very uncomfortable with that. Jesus had to have been very intelligent; but yet He spoke in parables so the people could understand Him.  Each one of us are to go out into the world and be a messenger.  We just have to take the first step and He will do the rest.

 

I am not too Bible smart but if you have a question, please ask and I will try to find the answer from someone else.  You are all in my prayers.  May God bless each and everyone of you.  Janie

 

 

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now I'm found
Was blind, but now can see

'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear
And grace my fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed

When we've been there ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we first begun

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now I'm found
Was blind, but now can see

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My Life

Starting a new journal.  Very simple; no graphics or frills.  On accassion I will add some music videos that have influenced my life.  Please feel free to walk down the paths of my life.  My hope is that it may inspire or teach a few lessons in life.  According to scripture older women are to teach younger women.  For those that are close to me, may you relive some of the stories that are being told.  For my children, aunts, cousins, please email me with an entry if you want to share.  All of you are in my prayers.  God Bless, Janie

 

Written by Dottie Rambo.  Recently she was killed in an automobile accident when on tour.  She wrote thousands of songs.  What a blessing from the Lord.  May this bless your life.  This video is full of emotion.  When we know the Lord times can be very emotional.

 

SHELTERED IN THE ARMS OF GOD

I feel the touch of hands so kind and tender.
They're leading me in the paths that I must trod.
I'll have no fear for Jesus walks beside me
For I'm sheltered in the arms of God.

So let the storms rage high,
The dark clouds rise,
They won't worry me;
For I'm sheltered safe within the arms of God.
He walks with me,
And naught of earth shall harm me,
For I'm sheltered in the arms of God.

Soon I shall hear the call from heaven's portals. Come home my child,

It's the last mile you must trod
I'll fall asleep
And wake in God's new heaven
For I'm sheltered in the arms of God.

So let the storms rage high,
The dark clouds rise,
They won't worry me;
For I'm sheltered safe within the arms of God.
He walks with me,
And naught of earth shall harm me,
For I'm sheltered in the arms of God.